September 20 The Mayor Hates Tolls, But Here's Why He Shouldn't (Style Weekly)
September 20, 2011
Tolls are coming back in vogue, says George Hoffer, an economics professor at the University of Richmond who specializes in transportation issues. Why? Technology. “The gasoline tax is a model-T as far as collecting highway revenues,” Hoffer says. Using electronic transponders like the EZ-Pass system also allows officials to easily adjust toll rates during peak and off-peak times. Tolls could be lowered on weekends, when traffic volume is light, to encourage more use. Those suburbanites planning their Saturday night reservations just might reconsider dining in the city.